Nut-cracking machine.



W. A. COULSON NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1915.

1,185,377, Patel med May 30,1916.

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wmmo v i v HB COLUMBIA PLANOG'RAPH 60., WASHINGTON D c WILLIAM ATKINSONCOULSON, OF MOSS POINT, MISSISSIPPI.

NUT-CRACKING MACHINE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed March 30, 1915. Serial No. 18,059.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. COULSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Moss Point, in the county ofJackson and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Nut-Gracking Machine, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for cracking nuts, and comprisesareciprocating hammer, an adjustable anvil, and means for bringing thenuts into position between the hammer and anvil, and for removing themfrom position after being struck by said hammer.

The invention consists in the novel fea tures of constructionhereinafter described, pointed out 'in the claims and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings 1 represents a suitable table having a longitudinalslot 2 and end extensions 3. A shaft 4 is journaled in the extensions 3,and carries an eccentric 5 provided with an eccentric strap 6, and rod 7to which is pivotally connected a plunger 8 having a hammer head 9 thefree end of which is suitably shaped to engage a nut.

As most clearly shown in Fig. 5 the plunger 8 slides in thesuitableguideways 10.

Upon opposite sides of the table are mounted spur wheels 11 over whichruns an endless belt 12, and said belt carries suitable nut holdingdevices 13. An anvil 14 is carried by the table 1, and said anvil isformed in two sections a movable section 15 being supported from thefixed anvil. 14 and adjusted by means of threaded rods 16, the movablesection or face having a recess 17 serving to hold and center the nutwhen struck by the hammer.

On the other side of the table is journaled a shaft 18 upon which one ofthe spur wheels 11 is fixed, and said shaft carries a beveled gear 18which meshes with a beveled gear 19 carried by shaft 20, which shaftextends across the slot 2. The shaft has fixed upon it a ratchet wheel21 and mounted loosely upon the shaft is a mutilated gear wheel 22 whichmeshes with a rack 23 carried by the underside of the plunger 8 andworking in the slot 2.

A spring pressed pawl 24 engages the a reciprocating motion to theplunger 8, and

as this goes forward itwill strike a nut carried by the belt 12 and inalinement with the hammer and the recess 17 of the movable face 15 ofthe anvil 14. The face 15 can be adjusted by means of a rod 16 to nutsof various lengths. During the forward move ment of the plunger the gear22 is rotated in such direction that the pawl 24 slips on the ratchetwheel.

Upon rear movement of the plunger the gear22 is rotated in the oppositedirection and the pawl rotates the ratchet 21, shaft 20, gears 19 and 18and shaft 18 causing the belt 12 to travel just a sufficient distance tobring another nut in position to be struck upon the next forwardmovement of plunger. When the nuts after being cracked reach the side ofthe tableand in position to be carried downwardly over one ofthe spurwheels they will fall from the belt into any suitable receptacle.

The shaft 4 can be turned by an desired means and I have shown a pulley2 on said shaft which may be driven by a belt from any suitable motor,not shown.

The advantages of the device and its operation and construction will beclear from the drawing and the description, and I do not wish to belimited to any particular form of motive power, or to any specialconstruction of nut holding devices, or any special construction ofbelt.

What I claim is:

1. In a nut cracking machine, the combination with an intermittentlymovablecarrier belt and a reciprocating plunger, of a rack bar carriedby the underside of said plunger, a shaft at right angles to the plungera mutilated gear on said shaft adapted to be engaged by said rack bar,said gear being loose on the shaft, a ratchet fixed to the shaft, a pawlcarried by the gear and adapted to engage and actuate said ratchet onreverse movement of the plunger, and means for communicating saidmovement to said carrier belt.-

2. A device of the kind described, comprising an anvil, a reciprocatingplunger the free end of the plunger forming a hammer head, an endlessbelt adapted to travel between the hammer head and anvil, a shaft fordriving said belt, a second shaft arranged at right angles to theplunger, means carried in part by said plunger and by said second shaftfor rotating the second shaft, during rearward movement of the plunger,and means for transmitting rotation of the second mentioned shaft to thewheels, nut holding means carried by the belt, a shaft arranged belowthe table and across said slot, a gear wheel loosely mounted on saidshaft and in alinement with the slot, a rack bar carried by the plungerand engaging said gear wheel, a ratchet fixed on the shaft, a pawlcarried by the gear wheel adapted to rotate said ratchet upon rearwardmovement of the plunger, and means for transmitting intermittentrotation of the said shaft to one of said spur Wheels.

WILLIAM ATKINSON COULSON.

Witnesses:

H. G. HENNIG, Geo. W. ONEILL.

Qopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Fatents, Washington, D. G,

